Roll film camera



May 28, 1935. B. MAYER ROLL FILM CAMERA Filed Jan. 5, 1955 Fig.1

" 81'8 cover.

Patented May 28,. 1935 UNITED STATES ROLL FILM CAMERA Bruno Mayer,Nuremberg, Germany Application January-5, 1935, Serial No..559 InGermany November 19, 1932 BGIaims.

This invention relates to a roll film camera, with two oppositely movingmasking screens adjustable from outside the camera. Roll film carriersin which, for the purpose of diminishing the size of the picture, twoblinds are provided which are slldable' in opposite directions from theside towards the middle, are already known. Such blinds have however thedisadvantage that they stretch and become slack in the course of time,so that the free aperture becomes displaced or distorted, therebyyielding a picture of incorrect dimensions.

In another known roll film camera the screens that determine the size01' the picture consist of rigid cover slides, which are slidablydisplaced in opposite directions by means of two toothed racks arrangedparallel to one another on one side wall of the camera, with a toothedpinion meshing with the said racks. This device involves agreater depthof the camera casing, since room has to be provided for the two racksand the pinion. The space available on the side walls is for the mostpart required by the struts and stays. Furthermore the toothedrackgearing requires special transmission means, since the pinion has to beas small as possible on structural grounds, it the movement of the rackis to be reduced to one revolution of the operating knob.

According to the invention-these disadvantages are obviated by the factthat the boundary screens,'constructed as slides, are fitted to thecamera cover, and are displaceable by means of a double crank gear,likewise arranged on the cam- Such a camera is not appreciably largerthan a roll film camera without limiting screens.

A further feature or the invention consists in the'iact that the slidingscreens are hingediy connected with the walls beneath them and that thefilm spools are mounted on the camera cover. The insertion of the filmcan therefore be eflected more easily than it the slidable coverscreens, fitted to the camera cover, are rigidly connected with theirsecond walls, so that the strip film has to be drawn through between thecover screens and the second walls.

In order to enable the film to be flattened and pressed against thepicture window; formed by the cover walls a plate is provided betweenthe sliding screens and the second walls. One form of construction ofthe invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawing, in which inside,

Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section through the camera casing, withcover, and

v Figure 3 shows a section through the camera and bent out of them. Eachwall 8, 9 is bent up along both its ends to form marginal brims i I, it.The marginal brim i2 is rolled in to form a hinge i3, to which the uppercover wall I, 5 is rockably pivoted, so that the film can easily beinserted without difliculty. The other marginal brim ii has a projectinglug it, under which a locking bolt l5 provided on each of the coverwalls 4, 5 can he slid.

The two upper covenwalls 4 and} have two lateral sheet metal rails l6and t1 siidable one in the other, and thereby iorm a irame, the windowaperture of which can be varied to correspond to the adjustable size ofpicture surface. The two-sheet metal rails l6 connected with the coverwall 4 embrace the other two sheet metal rails ll of the cover wall 5,which are slidable in them, and which are provided for stiffeningpurposes with a central longitudinal groove or indentation. In order toprotect the strip of film against being scratched as it moves past thewindow aperture, there are mounted on the 'cover walls I and 8 theroller bars I! and 28, which in other cameras are usually mounted on thecamera casing.

Between the cover walls 4 and 8 and the walls 8 and I below them thereis a plate 2|, which extends over the image window, and which enablesthe fiim to be pressed fiat. The p plate 2| is provided on both its endswith slots 22, in which is guided a rivet II, which holds the plate IIon the walls 0 and I. and which at the same time connects the walls 8and I, and therefore also the cover walls 4 and 8, with the rods 24 and28 or the double crank gear. By the double crank gear the walls 4, I andI, i are slid to and fro. Forthis P p s the rods 24 and II are connectedwith a two-armed lever 28, which is mounted on the cover 3, upon the hub(Fig. 2) of a rotatable knob 21, located on the outside of the cameracover."

Figure 1 shows the camera cover as seen from The film spools are notsupported in the usual way on the camera casing l but onthe' cover 3.The side walls oi. the cover exhibit ,ior this purpose atthebe'aring-positions 28 for the film spools eyes 29 (Fig. 2) projectinglike lugs, while in the side walls of the camera casing i are providedrecesses or apertures 3! for the bearing pivots 28 on the cover. Theinsertion of a film is thereby made just as simple as in the case of anordinary roll film camera.

When afilm spool is to'be insertedin the camera the cover walls 4, B arefirst adjusted to the small size of picture, and they are then rockedup, after sliding back the locking bars it, about the hinges It. Thestrip of paper is now unwound from the film spool 3|, inserted on thecover between the bearing pivots 2|, laid over the pressing plate II,and wound on to the empty spool. The cover walls 4, 5 are then rockedback again, and the locking bars it are slid forward, so that the stripsof paper and film lie between the pressing plate II and the cover wallsadjustable by means of the crank gearing. In Figure 3 the strips or filmand paper are not shown. The altering oi the size ot'picture surface iseflected by rotating the knob 21, the lever 26 shitting by means of therods 24 and 28 the lower cover walls 8 and 9 and the upper cover walls 4and 5 connected therewith. For the pressing plate 2! held by the tworivets 23 on the walls 8 and 9, this shitting is without influence,since the rivets 28 are guided in the slots 22.

What I claim is: l. A roll film camera, comprising a camera cover, twomasking screens fitted to the camera cover and slidable in oppositedirections to vary the area oi film exposed in taking a photograph, adouble crank mechanism, likewise ar-' ranged on the camera cover, fordisplacing the masking screens, and means for actuating the double crankmechanism from outside the camera.

2. A roll film camera, comprising a camera cover, two walls, -twomasking screens fitted to the camera cover and connected to the twowalls, the masking screens being slidable in opposite directions to varythe area oi film exmechanism, likewise arranged on the camera cover, fordisplacing the masking screens, and means for actuating the double crankmechanism from outside the camera.

4. A roll film camera, comprising a camera cover, two walls. two maskingscreens fitted to the camera cover, the masking screens being slidablein opposite directions, to vary the area of film exposed in taking aphotograph, a rotatable double crank, connecting rods each pivoted byone end to one end of the double crank, pivot pins secured in the twowalls and connected .with the other ends of the connecting rods, a

knob rotatable from outside the camera. for actuating the double crank,and a pressing plate between the masking screens and the two walls,

this pressing plate being guided on the said pivot pins.

5. A roll film camera, comprising a camera cover, two walls, two maskingscreens fitted to the camera cover and connected to the two walls, themasking screens being slidable in on posite directions to vary the areaof film exposed in taking a photograph, a double crank mechanism,likewise arranged on the camera cover, for displacing the maskingscreens, means for actuating the double crank mechanism irom outside thecamera, both ends of both the walls being bent up to form marginalbrims, one marginal brim oi each wall being hingedly connected with themasking screens, projecting lugs on the other marginal brims, and locmngbars secured to the masking screens and adapted to engme under the saidlugs.

BRUNO MAYER.

